Ann Henry is set to sign up with the Bird & Bird group in Ireland, ending up being the company’s 2nd patent-specialist partner in the capital city of Dublin. Henry relocates to the global company from Pinsent Masons, where she has actually been a partner and its head of workplace considering that 2018. Corporate attorney Brendan O’Brien is likewise signing up with the Bird & Bird group in Dublin.
Christian Bartsch, CEO of Bird & Bird, says, “We are thrilled to exceed our growth target after year one and to welcome Ann and Brendan to the team in Ireland. The depth of Ann’s expertise in IP, tech and data litigation alongside Brendan’s experience advising clients on a wide range of corporate matters will ensure that we remain the go-to law firm for our clients on some of the most important and complex issues in the international data litigation, intellectual property, corporate and technology and communications sectors.”
Last hurrah for Teva
Henry certified as a lawyer in 2001, prior to ending up being a partner at business law office William Fry in 2004. In 2013, she transferred to another business law office, Philip Lee, where she remained as a partner up until her transfer to Pinsent Masons in 2018. As well as patents and IP, Henry has experience in information personal privacy and regulative enforcement. Her transfer to Bird & Bird will see her focus more on information lawsuits, together with her patent practice.
However, Henry has substantial experience in life sciences cases, consisting of for Pinsent Masons’ routine customer Teva versus Bristol-Myers Squibb at the Commercial Court in Dublin. Here, she represents the celebration in the Irish part of the pan-European conflict over blood-clot avoidance drug apixaban. From 4 July, the 2 celebrations are set to go head-to-head in Ireland in a four-week-long case, where Henry is included together with partner Christopher Sharp.
Although, with the departure of Henry, the Dublin workplace of Pinsent Masons has no main patent partners, legal director Karin Gallagher will lead the group for the time being. Furthermore, 7 of the company’s London-based partners are likewise Irish-certified, with each partner operating in Dublin as soon as a month. Christopher Sharp says, “We confirm that Ann will be leaving the firm and will be wishing her all the best. Ireland is a strong market for us, and our pan-European IP team is well established in Dublin, with the UPC at the heart of what we do.”
Ireland dedicates to referendum
With the arrival of the Unified Patent Court, companies – specifically those with a strong UK existence – are seeking to support their existence in Dublin. While Ireland is not presently a completely validated member of the court, it has actually signed the UPCA and revealed its objective to take part in the Unitary Patent system.
In June 2022, the country’s government committed to holding a referendum on participation in 2023 or 2024 at the latest. Ireland has actually not yet signed the UPC Agreement’s Protocol on Provisional Application (PPA), or the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities (PPI). Its signature to both procedures is contingent on a ‘yes’ vote.
In March 2023, business IP group Ibec, along with Ireland’s Association of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys (APTMA), contacted the Irish federal government to hold the referendum this coming November. This would accompany a prepared constitutional vote on gender equality. However, recent reports and JUVE Patent sources recommend a referendum is most likely in June of 2024.
